“Please, Goddess. Do not worry yourself with such things,” Boss says.
I let out a slow exhale through my nose to calm my frustration with this asshole. I hate it when people brush off my questions. It’s so patronizing.
I’m more determined than ever to turn the brethren against him. Once that’s done, I can leave with a clear conscience.
“It seems strange there aren’t any females here. And why can’t anyone answer a goddamn question every once in a while?” I take a breath, trying to cool my rising temper.
“Our ways are different from the rest of the universe,” he says cryptically.
Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.
He talks the entire way back to my room about the day-to-day operations of the colony, never pausing long enough for me to say a single word. I get the feeling he’s filibustering, so I don't ask any more inconvenient questions.
If they are telling the truth and they don’t have any comms systems, I’ll gather some food and water and leave on my own.
Alone in my room, I rest my tense back against the closed door. It’s where I hold my stress, and there has been plenty of it lately. What I need is a good soak in that giant tub, not some creep with chafing hands offering to get me off.
On my way to the bathroom, I leave a trail of clothes behind me. Using my only hair tie, a prized possession, I fashion a loose bun on the top of my head. Next time there’s an emergency evacuation, I’m grabbing a backup.
I picture Tai's face if I'd sprinted back to my sleeping unit for a spare hair tie while the station evacuated around me. It might have been worth it to put myself in a little bit of danger to get a reaction out of the gorgeous overbearing alien.
It’s the first time I’ve thought about him in a while. I wonder what he’s doing right now. Probably trying to explain to Aro how he lost me.
The tension leaves my body as I step into the warm water. I uncap the bottles along the edge and test each substance on my hand. One smells like jasmine in the summertime and reminds me of a moisturizer I used to steal from the resort I worked at, a perfect treatment for my sunburn. I pour a generous amount into my hands and gently rub it all over my face.
I lean back on the edge and let the cream work its magic.
My eyes fly open with the quiet snick of my bedroom door closing. A bell tinkles, giving away the pervert who is moving around my room. Dude, seriously? I thought they had finally given up. These are some persistent little freaks.
I frantically look around for my towel. It’s just out of reach, neatly folded across the room. I would have to run past the wide-open door to get to it. I wade deeper into the tub and hope the water obscures my naked body.
“Hello?” I call out.
No response.
“Um, hi, I’m busy right now. Please go away,” I say loudly to the peeping tom.
The bell hesitates then continues its approach.
“Really. I appreciate the offer, but no orgasm necessary,” I call out.
“Who said anything about an orgasm?” a deep and familiar voice says.
Relief and anger crash over me all at once.
“You!” I snap at him.
Of all the people in all the universe, it’s Tai. How is it every time I turn around, this giant blue alien is underfoot and driving me crazy?
Tai stands at the edge of the bathtub. “When I said this conversation isn’t over, I didn’t think it would pick back up word for word. You need to think of another way to say, ‘Thank you, Tai, for coming to save me’.” He mimics me in a high-pitched obnoxious voice that sounds nothing like mine.
A hood covers half his face, unfortunately not the half with a wide cocky smile. I want to smack the smirk off his annoyingly handsome face. Without anything else being in arm’s reach, I opt to splash him with the bathwater.
“If you want me to get in with you, you just have to ask,” he says.
Prick.
“So, what’s this about orgasms? I’ve been out searching for you in the desert, and you’ve been down here getting serviced by a bunch of lonely outcasts?”
